An impromptu weekend jaunt to Corpus Christi turned out to be fun and somewhat educational for our three kids. For the dog, it was just fun.

Storm deferred: Before we arrived at our beachfront hotel, dark skies and raindrops threatened to dampen our spirits. But within a couple of hours, the clouds gave way to sunshine and we were ready to go. We let our Labrador retriever, Batman, stretch his legs on the beach near Corpus Christi Bay before venturing into the city.

Museum: OK, it was my idea to head to the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, after we arrived at Hurricane Alley Waterpark — just across the street — too close to closing time. It didn't take much convincing for the kids to agree once they spotted replicas of two Christopher Columbus ships, the Pinta and Santa Maria, outside the building.

We made the final tour of the Pinta that day, and inside the museum, we learned more about the ships, saw live reptiles, interactive exhibits and more. 1900 N. Chaparral St., $6-$12.50; younger than 5 free. ccmuseum.com or 361-826-4667

Water adventures: Thanks to rentals at Holiday Inn-Emerald Beach, our older son had the opportunity to ride a personal water craft, a lifelong dream for him. The two younger kids got a bouncy ride on a banana boat taxi that rivaled some amusement park water attractions.

At the Texas State Aquarium, the kids got to view, read and hear about all types of marine life and interact with some of it. There were super-size stingrays, sea urchins, dolphins, jellyfish, turtles, otters and a large exhibit featuring marine life from the Gulf of Mexico. 2710 N. Shoreline Blvd., $11.95-$16.95; 2 and younger free. www.texasstateaquarium.org or 361-881-1200

Where to stay: The Holiday Inn-Emerald Beach on Shoreline Boulevard allows pets like our big guy for a $30 fee. He made nice with a few playful pooches during our visit and spent most of his time chasing waves. Rooms start at $140. www.hiebcc.com

Where to eat: We drove about 25 miles to Doc's Seafood & Steaks on Padre Island, where a sign touted “Great food, free sunsets.” We missed the sunset, but the food lived up to the claim at the open-air eatery overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. While we waited downstairs at the boat dock/deck for a table, we were serenaded by a folk artist on acoustic guitar. During dinner upstairs, a band played a quick set. 13309 S. Padre Island Drive. docsseafoodandsteaks.com or 361-949-6744

We followed up dinner with an intense game of mini golf just down the road at Treasure Island Golf & Games. Our 9-year-old son won, but our 11-year-old daughter wowed us with a hole-in-one.

Next time: We will pay a call on the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay, which arrived in Corpus in 1992 (usslexington.com). And we'll plan better to spend quality time at Hurricane Alley (www.hurricanealleycc.com), which is open weekends through Sept. 30. Hope the lines are as relaxed as they were during our first attempt.